title: The health benefits following regular ongoing exercise lifestyle in independent community-dwelling older Taiwanese adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of regular ongoing exercise lifestyle on mental and physical health in a group of independent community-dwelling Taiwanese older adults over a 2-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  197 older adults (mean age 72.5 years; 106 men and 91 women) who were independent in walking, instrumental and basic activities of daily living completed the baseline and a 2-year follow-up assessment. Older adults regularly performing exercises during the 2-year study period were grouped into regular exercise group; otherwise in the irregular exercise group. Baseline and follow-up assessments included a face-to-face interview and a battery of performance tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The regular exercise group showed significantly less depression (P = 0.03) and tended to regress less on the performance tests (P = 0.025-0.410) across 2 years compared to the irregular exercise group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular exercise is important for maintaining or even improving mental and functional health, even for independent community-dwelling older adults.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy & Centre for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. cywang@csmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ching-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chih-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Chia-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yen-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors